Ohio is where the hurt go to hide
by ssbailey
Summary: Brennan and her team resign from the Jeffersonian leaving Booth and Cam behind. Will Booth be able to save her from herself this time or is it already too late when she visits her hometown in Ohio before taking a job in Egypt?
1. Red is all she sees

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bones, sadly.**

**A/N: Lyrics are from "Cigarette" by The Graham Colton Band. This chapter is written mostly in third person format jumping from different points of view to see each person's reaction to the events as they play out. I may change from third person in later chapters if this plays out like I expect it to. There will be definite angst for this story, at least in the beginning. Hope it's not too terrible! This takes place around the time of 'Judas on a Pole' and 'The Headless Witch in the Woods' and is very anti-Cam and the Cam and Booth romance.**

**P.S. Dixi is Latin for "I have spoken" and ego diligo vos is Latin for "I love you". These phrases are in the chapter.**

**Chapter One**

**Brennan P.O.V.**

"_**You make me wanna smoke a cigarette**_

_**  
You make me wanna be someone else**_

_**  
You make me wanna be somebody you would leave and I could forget"**_

Red seemed to be all around her; in her mind, on her face, and in her heart. No, not red, anger. Anger was exactly what she was feeling. Cold sweat flew from her forehead and she couldn't breathe, but she didn't notice. The only thing on her mind now was getting out of here without seeing anyone. Anyone meaning not even her three best friends and especially not 'them', those two people were the ones that she couldn't bear to see the most.

She came up with her escape plan almost too quickly; she would sneak out of her office and go down the back stairs until she reached to main museum and go out the public entrance. That way she would escape everything and head for the one place that she could always think- Ohio. She hadn't been there since she'd finished school, but she knew only one thing in this moment and that was that she couldn't be in D.C. anymore. She needed a new life, a new job, and a new apartment; she needed everything to be so new that it didn't remind her of 'him'.

She would just get the first flight out tonight and have Angela pack up her apartment and send everything to her, just like she had done when she moved to D.C. She hated doing that to her friend again, making her old college room mate pack up her belongings for the second time seemed harsh, but she knew Angela would understand just like she had the first time.

Angela had always been there for her, well at least as much as she could, not like 'him'. He had betrayed her in every sense of the word. She couldn't even understand what had made her begin to trust him, open up to him, let him protect her. Sure he'd saved her life from Kenton, the rouge agent, but he only did that because he was her partner, that was very clear to her now. She had let her mind start to play with the possibility of more, of letting him all the way in, letting him see her for exactly what/who she was, but now she only cursed herself for letting her guard down once again. The bitch had threatened to fire her over a work dispute that clearly had nothing to do with her job skills and qualifications and he had still chosen her. She now knew one thing and one thing for certain and that was the Camille Saroyan was no friend of hers and neither was Seeley Booth.

Her chest tightened, but she felt nothing, listening to the voices outside her office door like a hawk, and when she was certain no one was near she took her leave not even closing the door behind her as she fled, for possibly the last time, the place that had been her sanctuary, the place that she had felt the safest and the calmest at. Curse them for having taken that away from her; no curse her for letting them.

Reaching the outside, a sigh of relief flew from her lips as she ran. Her vision still blind with anger and hate as she ran past everything that had once mattered and climbed into her small car, which she would have to get rid of too, pushed the pedal completely to the floor as she navigated her way to her apartment, the last place she'd go before leaving this place.

Knowing she couldn't take her time in the apartment, that would just bring back to many painful memories, she opened her phone to send a text message she knew would explain everything to the woman would be picking up after her.

'**Ohio. One hour. Like last time. Explanations later.'**

After the message had long sent, and no reply came, she knew it had been understood. Like last time her friend, one of her only real friends, would prove her worth and pick up the pieces that Temperance Brennan would now leave in her wake as she made her hurried, uncaring removal from D.C.

Refusal to cry had now become futile as she burst into her apartment practically dove for her suitcase, and when it was full to the maximum she sat down on it forcing it to shut and zipped it closed hastily.

She knew she couldn't last much longer here. Everywhere she looked brought back memories; the pig in the corner, the CD collection, hell even the refrigerator made her think of him. Especially the flat screen TV that was still in the box made her anger raise and the wetness of her cheeks began to dry as she walked out the door for what would have to be the last time. That was the only thing she knew, this was the last time she would let herself be here. Here she was filled with anger, at herself and at 'him', and everything made her cry in remembrance of the past that had once again caught up to her. It now seemed no matter how hard she tried the Brennan name could not be erased and the pain could not be forgotten or gotten rid of.

Somehow she now entered the airport, though frustration filled her thoughts as she tried unsuccessfully to remember how she had arrived at her current destination. The only thing she could remember saying was _'One ticket to Dayton, Ohio on the next flight'_ and boarded the plane for its departure.

**Angela P.O.V.**

Angela had known something was wrong when she saw the office door open, but the light off. She knew that the only reason it would be like that would be if its occupant never meant to return and claim the belongings that lay inside. That scene was all too familiar. The beep of her cell phone had been right on cue and when she opened it the message it revealed brought her suspicions to reality. Angela's mind went into a gear that she had only used once before as she made her way to the dark office, found the already sealed envelope, and exited, stopping only to shut the door behind her.

Her mind seemed to be on calm now, this was nothing new to her, and she motioned for her fiancée and the socially awkward, but selfless, former grad student to make their way to her office. With haste she explained the situation, and they produced sealed envelopes from their lab coats as if they had sensed the storm that had come to the Jeffersonian the minute 'she' had walked in the doors.

They returned to their stations only to collect their belongings as she did the same and printed her own letter sealing it with one very large sticker that had a single quote printed on it._ "__Don't walk behind me, I may not lead. Don't walk in front of me, I may not follow. Just walk beside me and be my friend."-Unknown. _That seemed to fit the situation more than she realized as she grabbed the last picture frame off of her desk, handed her box of items to the others, and made her way to 'her' office only to find that it was cohabited by another individual and at the sight of 'him' she knew immediately Temperance's reason for leaving. Damn him.

She said nothing to either of them as she laid four envelopes down in a vertical row to reveal the neatly typed name that appeared on the face of each one and walked out the door tuning out their questions as she left the office.

As she made it to the waiting car that was already occupied by her two companions she heard her cell phone beep again. When the phone was opened and the contents displayed she knew that she had done the right thing as they sped off into the darkness. The message read:

'_**Just took off. Come as soon as possible. Bring ONLY Hodgins and Zach. Hilton by the airport.'**_

Angela now felt her best friends' desperation as the three of them boarded the last nonstop plane of the evening to the one place she thought she'd never see Temperance Brennan run towards.

**Cam P.O.V.**

Cam had been sitting at her desk, smiling when the artist had entered her office, so had 'he', but when the woman had said nothing, only leaving those four letters her heart began to race.

She picked up the first one that read 'Dr. Zachary Uriah Addy' on the cover and opened it to find a letter of intent announcing that he would accompany Dr. Temperance C. Brennan as she headed up a dig in Egypt and a letter of resignation from the Jeffersonian.

The letter that read Ms. Angela Pearly Gates Montenegro read almost entirely the same as the young doctor's had only adding that she and the Cantilever Group would be taking possession of the Angelator.

The next letter seemed to be thicker and the pathologist picked it up reading the name Dr. Jack Stanley Hodgins on the cover before tearing it open. Inside it was filled with the same letters of intent and resignation that had been in the other two, and one set of stapled documents with an attached letter that read:

"_**The Cantilever Group will be removing all support, financial and otherwise, from the Jeffersonian Institution immediately following this business day. We reserve the right to do so without cause or justification, and will inform the Director of this institution of our actions. The enclosed documents have been drawn up by Cochran, Morris, and Robinson, Attorneys at Law, and contain the necessary information for the breach of our contract with the Jeffersonian Institution. The signature of our CEO, Dr. Jack Stanley Hodgins, on the documents' final page is all that is required to legalize these documents. The Cantilever Group will also be confiscating The Angelator and any and all property or research that has been compiled by Dr. Jack Stanley Hodgins, Ms. Angela Pearly Gates Montenegro, Dr. Zachary Uriah Addy, and Dr. Temperance Christine Brennan. We shall do this immediately and without any other warning of our actions."**_

_**Dixi,**_

_**Dr. Jack Stanley Hodgins**_

_**President and CEO of The Cantilever Group, Inc.**_

Fear passed through the now shaking Pathologists body as she picked up the last letter and thumbed over the name. She had only thought the Anthropologist had been joking when she had threatened to leave until now. After she read the name on the last envelope her numb fingers pried it open to reveal four letters.

The first and the shortest of the typed letters began with:

"_**I, Dr. Temperance Christine Brennan, without cause or concern hereby resign from the Jeffersonian Institution, effective immediately."**_

The next letter only longer than the first by a few sentences was the letter of intent which started with:

"_**I, Dr. Temperance Christine Brennan, take my leave from the Jeffersonian Institution of my own accord and hereby inform said Institution of my intent to join the ongoing archaeology dig in the pyramids of the country of Egypt. My current team, Dr. Jack Stanley Hodgins, Dr. Zachary Uriah Addy, and Ms. Angela Pearly Gates Montenegro, have expressed interest in accompanying me as I take my leave and will be joining me for the length of this archaeological pursuit."**_

The third and last of the typed letters was addressed to both Dr. Camille Saroyan and Deputy Director Samuel Cullen of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It simply read:

"_**I, Dr. Temperance Christine Brennan, am terminating my involvement with the Federal Bureau of Investigation. All legal documents have been filed and my contract with the Federal Bureau has been officially terminated as of the close of today's business day as notarized in documents filed by myself and District Attorney Caroline Julian at or around one in the afternoon, the eleventh of December of the year two thousand and six."**_

The Pathologist's breath became heavy as she closed the third letter. The man sitting across from her had yet to learn of her troubles and she had tuned out his concerned questions long ago.

As she picked up the last letter her breath finally, completely, stopped itself in her chest as she saw the four words that were written on the outside in black ink. _**'Special Agent Seeley Booth'**_ was handwritten in a woman's script on the cover and the pathologist only now addressed the man who was now sitting directly in front of her, handed him the stack of notes and ran to the bathroom where she proceeded to get sick more times than she had wanted.

**Booth P.O.V.**

He knew something had been awry when Angela had entered the room absent of her normal high spirited attitude, and laid the four neatly sealed envelopes on Dr. Saroyan's desk. He had sat in and watched in a state of fear and concern as the pathologist, whose office he was now in, proceeded to open and read the contents of all four envelopes leaving only one note unopened before hastily running towards the restroom.

The only thing that kept him from following her was the note that his eyes now rested on. The handwritten note that he could tell his partner had authored. He needed little imagination to discern what had filled the other notes after seeing the shock that was registered by their previous reader. Hesitant, but firm none the less, he opened to find a tear stained letter that read simply one short paragraph.

'_**Do not follow me. If you look for me, I will use all my contacts to leave where ever I am presently and go into hiding until you leave off your search. Tell Parker 'ego diligo vos' for me. This will be my last form of communication.'**_

Tears filled his eyes as he wondered what could have caused this sudden departure and ending of their friendship and partnership as he dropped the other papers in the floor before running to his car and using his siren to try and catch his best friend at the airport before she left his life for good. If he had only known that she had already gone to the one place she knew he wouldn't look.


	2. Hidden revelations

**Disclaimer: I, once again, do not own Bones.**

**A/N: Thank you guys so much for all the reviews that are already on this story! I hope this chapter doesn't disappoint too much, but it is somewhat of a filler chapter. It does have two revelations in it that will help you understand exactly why Brennan left. Lyrics belong to Drowning Pool from their song "Bodies". I'm trying to send everyone a thank you message that reviewed but since some of the reviews were anonymous, I just want to say thanks once again on here. I know it seems like Cam is getting the raw end of the deal in this chapter, but it won't farther into the story. She's going to pull a total 180, and that's going to be one of the things that helps Booth start to understand why no one likes her. Okay, without further ado, here is Chapter Two.**

**Chapter Two**

"_**Push me again,**_

_**  
This is the end,**_

_**  
Skin against skin, blood, and bone,**_

_**  
You're all by yourself, but you're not alone,**_

_**  
You wanted in, now you're here,**_

_**  
Driven by hate, consumed by fear,**_

_**  
Let the bodies hit the floor"**_

**Booth P.O.V.**

He could've sworn he'd seen one of them. One of her assistants had looked directly at him and then hurried off into the shadows, he just knew it. He knew their loyalty ran deep with her, but this was far past anything he would've imagined they'd do. Sure, he thought they'd maybe interrogate her boyfriends, stand behind her when she needed family, things like that he too would've done without a moments notice, but this, quitting their jobs and having the Cantilever Group stop supporting the Jeffersonian, well that was above and beyond the call of friendship.

His head had been filled with a thousand thoughts as he raced towards the airport, trying to call each of the squints to find out what was going on. Each call had ended the same way, every number he called he seemed to hear the same things. "You have reached The Brennan Element. We are not able to answer the phone at this time, so if you will please leave a message we will return your call as soon as possible. Thank you and have a good day." After every call he started to wonder if they had been planning this mass exodus from D.C., but in the back of his mind he knew better than that. Bones loved the Jeffersonian and so did the squints, hell she spent more time there than at home, so why this sudden outburst.

Pain was the only emotion he felt as he took off running towards the terminal where he thought he had seen one of them walking down, only to find that the only flights taking off from that terminal were headed to Ohio, and he thought he knew her well enough to know that would be the last place she'd go.

What had he done to cause this? He knew whatever it was that had caused her to run, no flee; from everything she loved was most definitely his fault. If it wasn't his fault she would've come to him, and he would be on that plane with her instead of the squints.

It had been hours now since he had first seen the artist enter that office, and now at the airport he was certain Bones had gone, but he couldn't force himself to leave. He just sat down, where he didn't know, and let the tears fall while he racked his brain for reason or explanation. He didn't care that others were watching him; he just had to find her, tell her he was sorry, and get her back. That was the only thing on his mind.

**Zach P.O.V.**

He had been buying a magazine when he had seen Agent Booth. Anger had risen up in his throat, and just as he was about to defend his mentor an arm had pulled him off into the corner causing him to drop the magazine he was about to purchase. He knew the touch of that arm, he knew it was Angela, but it still surprised him. He can't see us, he can't know where we're going, had been her only explanation as she let him go as soon as she'd see Agent Booth's figure pass by the small book store.

He hadn't the slightest clue as to why Dr. Brennan had left the Jeffersonian, but he didn't need to know. He was her friend, and that was all that mattered as he boarded the plane to Dayton with the others. There was something different about him, about the way he was feeling in that moment, and he was about to let his mind analyze the current situation when he realized exactly what he was feeling. Hate was exactly what he was experiencing, and the targets of his hate were Agent Booth and Dr. Saroyan.

**Brennan P.O.V.**

Ohio certainly smelt the same as it had last time, which was one thing she noticed as she exited the terminal. She had been able to navigate the airport with ease due to the fact that it had been almost exactly the same nine years ago when she had been there.

She had felt her breathing begin to even out again as the plane had started to descend, but the twinge that she had felt in her stomach when she'd seen him kiss 'her' was still there threatening to cause her to relive the last thing she'd eaten. She knew there was more going on with her stomach than she let on as she exited the plane, and made her way to a waiting cab that would take her to the nearby hotel where she would await her friends. Knowing that she would have to explain everything when they arrived, she kept silent only speaking when she had to, hoping no one would try and cheer her up or ask her questions.

_**Flashback:**_

_**Lying there next to him, she knew what had just happened between her and her partner had to be a one time thing, at least for now. She had wanted what had just happened between them, but the timing had been off. He had only been staying with her that night because she didn't want to be alone. She had just been buried alive for goodness sakes. No one else would have wanted to be alone after that either. They had slept together, and she couldn't deny that she had enjoyed it, and neither could he, but they had both agreed that nothing more could come of this situation and had promised to tell no one. Well she hadn't known that his reason for not wanting to tell anyone was because he was secretly involved with 'her', she had only found out that they were dating after the fact from Angela. That, she would've thought, would've been that final straw, but it wasn't. The final straw was when she had seen them practically making out in 'her' office. Sure she had seen them by accident, and it was almost a month later, but she was certain that he hadn't filled in his obvious girlfriend on what had happened between the woman he called Bones and himself. She would've dropped him on the spot if she had known.'**_

_**End of Flashback.**_

Not letting herself break down until she was in the solace of her hotel room with Angela did she finally say what was on her mind out loud as if announcing it to the world would make it true. Brennan knew Angela knew what had happened between the two partners, but she had been totally oblivious to what she had just heard uttered from her mouth. "I'm pretty sure I'm pregnant" was all she was able to say before she couldn't hold the tears back any longer and fell to the floor still clutching her friend.

**Hodgins P.O.V.**

Hodgins secretly knew about Cam and Booth, even before Angela, and keeping it from the others hadn't been an easy task. He wished he would've acted differently though when Angela told him a secret that he was not to utter to another soul as long as he lived. If he had only told Dr. Brennan about Booth's relationship with Cam maybe they wouldn't be in this situation. If Brennan had known about the secret relationship she wouldn't have slept with him that was for sure. He cursed himself for not telling her. He could've saved her from all this pain, and now standing in the hallway with Zach he heard something through the wall and the sobs that made him blink away shock and tears before his mind could register what he had just listened in on.

All she had said was 'I think I'm pregnant', but Jack knew that she would have to be more than certain before she would tell anyone if she really were pregnant. How could he forgive himself for not telling her now? He barely whispered what he had heard to Zach, who was thankfully already sitting on the floor, before falling to the ground himself and they both began to let small tears fly out of their eyes as they watched the door for some sort of sign that they could enter.

**Angela P.O.V.**

Seeing the mix of anger, sadness, and something she couldn't identify on her friend's face as she entered the hotel room, she suddenly felt two arms reach around her neck before feeling the wetness of tears trickle down her shoulder. When they had finally reached the center of the room her friend whispered something that made her whole world spin, but put everything into perspective at the same time. "I think I'm pregnant" was all Brennan said as they hit the floor still holding each other.

Now she knew for certain the reason why her friend ran. She felt every emotion from hate to fear and then she realized that was the one thing she hadn't been able to decipher in her friend's face. Fear had been present with the anger and sadness that had flooded Brennan's face. Brennan must've seen Booth and Cam making out in Cam's office. Angela could always tell what other people had been up to, and when she had entered Cam's office to drop off the letters Cam had definitely had 'Almost Sex' hair.

All she could say was 'we'll all get through this together, Jack, Zach, me and you' before she began cursing Booth under her breath. She thought he had been their friend. She thought he would finally be the one Brennan opened up to, but once again someone else had caused her best friend pain and she promised herself that this was the last time that was ever going to happen. That was one promise she was never going to break even if she had to find Max and Russ and fill them in on the situation herself.

**Cam P.O.V.**

They had entered the Jeffersonian like the Huns or the Vikings claiming everything in their wake as they made their way to the lab. They donned black suits and ties and the only thing that had let her in on who they were was the large logo on their briefcases that read "The Cantilever Group". When they had finished over half of her remaining staff had turned in their resignations and her lab was empty of over 50 percent of its equipment, including the Angelator.

She knew she was going to be fired the minute she stepped into the Director of the Jeffersonian's office to find it filled with the Director of the Jeffersonian, the Director of the FBI, Dr. Goodman, and Deputy Director Cullen of the FBI. Did Dr. Brennan really have this much power over things? Though she knew she was about to be terminated, it still came as a shock when they told her, and she was now being escorted out of the building by two armed men saying her belongings would be mailed to her within the next two weeks.

Why had Dr. Brennan quit? What was going on? Those were the only two questions that seemed to run through her mind as she reached her apartment to find Seeley Booth waiting on her, telling her that he was leaving, leaving to find Dr. Brennan, and that their relationship was over.

Today had not been a good day for Dr. Camille Saroyan. It had been such a bad day in fact, that she called her sister Felicia to come over before she even made it in the building.

_**  
**_


	3. Heat waves and Baby names

**Disclaimer: I still do not own Bones.**

**A/N: This Chapter is leaning on a more sad note as we catch up with our favorite group of squints in Cairo, Egypt, and see what they've been up to since they left D.C. The sex of the baby is also revealed in this chapter as well as just exactly how Booth hasn't been able to find them. Thanks again to everyone who read and reviewed the previous two chapters, and I hope this one doesn't disappoint! Ha. I just read some of the reviews from Chapter Two…and I do agree that Cam is getting what she deserves! Booth is getting what he deserves too. That is definitely evident in this chapter.**

**P.S. Lyrics belong to Sara Bareilles and her song "Inside Out".**

**Chapter Three**

……Five Months Later…..

"_I've been winding down the same road for days,_

_  
I've seen the coastline going both ways,_

_  
Some days are perfect, and some simply could not get worse,_

_  
Some days it's all worth it, and some days this life is nothing but a curse, _

And I wonder who will break first" 

**Angela P.O.V.**

The sun beat down on the artist's face as she drew another picture of what their newest Egyptian mummy would've looked like. Angela knew she could've stayed back in the cool, air conditioned Jeffersonian lab, but even though it was over 100 degrees on this sunny day in May, she still wouldn't have changed her decision to leave for the world. None of them had even gone back to D.C. since that day in December except Hodgins, who had sent his staff to clean out Brennan and Angela's apartments and all of their offices at the lab, and move the contents to a storage facility at his home.

Dr. Goodman was the only one at the Jeffersonian who knew their exact location, he had even taken a sabbatical in Egypt for the month of February, but he was sworn to secrecy on anything that pertained to the foursome, soon to be five some. He had kept his promise, it seemed, since no one else had contacted them, not even Booth. It seemed even he hadn't been able to use his FBI contacts to locate them after all. They heard of Cam's removal from the Jeffersonian, and Dr. Goodman had begged them to return, but they had all decided that it just wasn't time, it was too soon. They had all tried to hide Brennan's pregnancy from Dr. Goodman, but his wife had caught Brennan reading an expectant mother's book and figured out the rest, but agreed to keep the secret after a deal was reached that they would assist the Jeffersonian via Webcam on certain cases from time to time, and in return the Goodman's would keep the baby a secret.

Angela knew one of the reasons Booth hadn't been able to find them was because of Hodgins. Hodgins had used up most of his contacts in the government to keep their location hidden from everyone except family members and people they had contacted personally. She loved him for doing that. Hodgins and Zach had even fallen into step as Brennan's body guards, especially now that she was starting her seventh month of pregnancy. Between the three of them they had taken over most of the work on each set of remains leaving Brennan with the ability to rest as often as she needed to.

Angela, against Brennan's wishes, had even had Hodgins locate Max and Russ. They had been living in Mississippi, near Jackson, under the assumed names of Matthew and Kyle Russell. Max had also used some of his criminal contacts to keep them hidden and he and Russ had visited them on several occasions using fake passports and ids. Brennan had grown accustomed to their presence, even allowing them to take one of the sonogram pictures home with them and she even took the liberty to pay for Amy and the girls to visit her at the same time Max and Russ were planning to visit them so the girls could see Russ.

The artist sighed as she entered the tent to drop off her equipment before taking her best friend to her doctor's appointment. This, she reasoned, may have not been the way she pictured her life, but she wouldn't change anything about it. The only thing she couldn't make her mind up on was whether they should tell Booth about the baby. Brennan had asked their opinions about the issue weeks ago and they had still not come up with an answer.

**Booth P.O.V.**

The past five months had not been kind to Seeley Booth. After the incident at the Jeffersonian he hadn't been fired, but he had certainly been passed up time and again for promotion. He had even resigned his post as the official liaison to the Jeffersonian allowing Agent Tim Sullivan, Sully, of all people to take his place.

His cheeks were hollow due to his almost refusal to eat, bags and dark circles lived 24/7 underneath his eyes, and he had started getting drunk every night just to try and forget about Bones, even if that was impossible. He had spent every possible minute trying to locate her since she left, but every avenue he went down there seemed to be a road block waiting for him. Damn Hodgins, he must have used his influence to keep them well hidden. Even when he tried the illegal ways of locating someone his searches turned up empty due to Max's connections in the criminal community.

He still hadn't figured out what caused her to leave D.C. and that was the thought that filled his mind the most. It kept him from sleeping every night until he was on the point of exhaustion and then he would finally doze off for around two hours a night before waking up with his thoughts tormenting him again. The only explanation he could figure out was that possibly Bones had found out about his relationship with Cam, but that could only be part of the reason. She could've just removed herself from working with the FBI or gone straight to Cullen and requested a different partner which would've removed him from the Jeffersonian. She wouldn't have left if that was the only reason.

He and Cam had remained friends some how, and she had taken off back to her old job after being fired from the Jeffersonian. After Cam had gone back to New York, he considered transferring somewhere other than D.C., but couldn't bring himself to file the papers thinking Bones just might show up looking for him. So he was left to sit and wait. The only thing that was keeping him from completely falling apart was spending time with Parker.

Today was especially hard, being that today was the anniversary of the day he had told Bones one of his deepest, darkest secrets. She had been the only one he had told about Kosovo, and he still hadn't confided in another soul since she had left. He had considered not coming in to work at all today, but remembered he had to be present at today's meeting of the team that were going to take over the Gravedigger case from him to hand over all his files, so he drug himself out of bed and only half showered before he made it to the Hoover building.

His declining appearance hadn't gone unnoticed by the other agents or Cullen who had all tried to reach him, even Gordon Gordon, hadn't been able to get through the walls he had put up, and he was now on desk duty full time.

Going through his mail as he entered his office he noticed one envelope had somewhat familiar handwriting but no return address. The only thing other than his name and the FBI's address on the envelope was a postal stamp that told him the letter had come through Mississippi before reaching him. He couldn't place the handwriting in his mind for a moment, and then a revelation hit him like a ton of bricks. The handwriting on the letter belonged to Max Keenan, father of Russell and Temperance Brennan.

Tossing his other mail in the floor he almost ripped the small envelope to shreds before he got it open. The only thing in the envelope was an index card with something taped to the back of it. Written on the index card was:

'_**She's happy in Cairo. They're taking care of her now and it's all we can do not to come after you. The only reason we won't is because she asked us not to. Despite everything, all the pain and hurt you caused her, we can see she still loves you, she doesn't trust you, but she loves you in spite of that fact. We have no idea how she can still feel that way about you, but that doesn't matter. Leave her alone and let her be happy for once in her life.**_

_**Columbus and Kyle'**_

When he finished reading the note chills ran down his spine. She had told her father to leave him alone? She still loved him? How? She's in Egypt? So many questions floated through his mind that he almost forgot the item that was taped to the back of the index card. Gently pulling it free of the tape he at first thought it was only a blank piece of glossy paper, but when he turned it over his heart sank. There, in his hand, was a sonogram picture, and written underneath the black and white photo, in Max's handwriting, was "It's a girl".

He knew instantly that he was the father, without even looking in the top corner to read the typed information that read 'Baby Girl Booth. Daughter of Temperance Brennan' that had been added to the picture by the technician who had done the sonogram. His knees buckled beneath him and the next thing he remembered was waking up with two junior agents in his face asking him if he was okay.

**Max P.O.V.**

Max knew his daughter had told him not to contact Booth, but he couldn't resist causing the agent some pain after what Booth had done to his daughter. He would've killed Booth if she hadn't stopped him from doing so. When he and Russ had made their first trip to Egypt in January she had told them about the baby, and who the father was, and that was when she had made him promise to leave Booth alone.

He had barely been able to see straight after she had filled them in on the details behind her sudden move to Ohio and then to Egypt and when he heard about the pregnancy the anger just seemed to bubble over. Ever since that first trip Max had been looking for a way to inflict some form of pain, physical or emotional, on Booth without breaking his promise to his daughter, and when she had allowed them to take the sonogram home he and Russ came up with the perfect plan. Max would write the letter and Russ would mail it and the picture before they would relocate to Alabama so if Booth did come looking they would be no where to be found. If Russ mailed the letter and picture he would have been the one who would've contacted Booth, not Max, which left his promise to Temperance unbroken. They would soon be heading to Egypt anyways until the baby was born to be closer to Tempe and the newest Brennan.

**Brennan P.O.V.**

Brennan had tried hard to get Seeley Booth out of her mind, but it seemed that even a world away everything still seemed to remind her of him. The first few weeks had been the hardest, and she had cried almost every night for the first two months they had been here. Even the workers shouting "Bones!" when they found a new mummy made her turn around almost hoping that he would be standing there when she turned towards the noise. Now this life growing inside her only made those memories all the more real, and that only made her wish that he was there with her. She knew she didn't trust him, and that she should still be mad at him for everything, but she just couldn't let him go for some reason that she couldn't figure out.

Her father had managed to get her a few pictures of Parker that were taken at a far distance so she could see how much he had grown up, and so that the little girl in her stomach could one day see her older brother.

She had started, with the help of Angela and the others, a scrap book of all the adventures they had had since they had arrived in Egypt. Every picture was neatly placed with stickers and drawings all around it and on the front of the scrapbook three words were sewn into the fabric, The Brennan Element had been stitched in bright pink string to symbolize the little girl that she was carrying. She smiled remembering when she had first seen those words on the scrapbook that her friends had presented her with to make a sort of journal of what they had been up to for the baby, and announced to her that they were going to call themselves The Brennan Element in honor of both her and the baby. Hodgins, Angela, and Zach were her family now in every sense of the word, but she still couldn't help but miss Booth's presence around her every minute of everyday.

She had allowed her father and Russ to visit on more that one occasion and in a month they would be returning to stay with her until the baby was born. She still hadn't decided on a name for the little girl yet, the only thing she had been unwavering with her 'family' about was that the baby's last name was to be Booth. The little girl deserved to know who her family was, even if she might never see them.

They were all living together in a medium sized house near the dig now, and had all gotten closer, if that were possible. The guys had even surprised her with a fully furnished nursery in the spare room that was next to hers. Now each of them were starting to come up with their own lists of baby names for her to examine and leaving them in her room where they knew she would find them. Angela's had been taped to the front of the scrapbook, Hodgins had put his on top of her laptop, and Zach had placed his in the pocket of her lab coat that she wore to the dig site, and each name had been more interesting than the last.

Angela's list, as it was called, included peculiar names like Heaven and Miller, which she said were both unisex, but it had included one name that Brennan liked, Lanie. Angela had also suggested that the name be Melanie, and then shortened to use Lanie as a nickname.

Hodgins list was slightly more normal than Angela's and included names like Phoebe which meant Bright, and Reagan which meant little ruler. She wasn't too fond of anything he had come up with either, but Reagan wasn't as bad as some of the other ones on his list.

Zach's list had been the most normal, strangely enough. He had picked out more traditional names like Elizabeth which meant God is my oath, and Katherine which meant pure. His list had surprised her with its normality and she had even started to seriously consider some of the names he had suggested.

It seemed that even her brother and father had decided to help her out in the baby name department, and they had helped her decide one thing for certain and that was that one of the little girl's names would be Christine. She hadn't decided whether to use it as a first or middle name, but she knew that she wanted to give the baby a connection with the mother she remembered.

Brennan still had three months to decide on a name, which gave her hope, and she was now being rushed off to her doctor's appointment by the ever optimistic artist. The only reason she had agreed to even go to her appointment today was because after it was over they would meet up with the others at their new favorite restaurant before they headed out to shop for groceries and baby clothes. She may have been missing Booth, but that didn't mean that she was ready to let him back anywhere near her just yet, she still hadn't even told him about the baby, and that was one letter she just couldn't bring herself to write.

**Hodgins and Zach P.O.V.**

Both Hodgins and Zach had fallen into their new roles as the men in Angela and Brennan's lives as easy as if it had been something a simple as opening a coke. They had both gotten used to the fact that both women left their undergarments hanging to dry on the shower rod, hogged the bathroom, and had very particular tastes as to what they ate and what they didn't eat, and if they didn't eat it, it wasn't allowed in the house. They had even gotten so comfortable with their current living situations that they had redone the nursery to surprise Brennan all on their own on a Saturday that she and Angela had gone to a doctor's appointment, and had managed to get the perfect pink and yellow items to fill the baby's room. Things had just seemed to fall into place once they had arrived in Egypt.

Well everything had almost fallen into place, with one exception. Somehow, it seemed, Booth now knew about the baby and that they were living and working at a dig site near Cairo. The only reason they knew that Booth knew was because Hodgins contacts at the State Department and Homeland Security had contacted him telling him that Special Agent Seeley Booth had been digging around for information on their location within and around the city of Cairo. Both agencies, of course, practically gave him nothing, but it still worried Hodgins and Zach that he was getting closer to finding them. They hadn't told Angela or Brennan about all the attempts he made when they had first left and now were contemplating on whether they should do so now as they headed to the restaurant.

They decided that they would leave the decision to tell Brennan up to Angela as it was now time to fill her in on exactly what Booth had been up to since they left. She would know exactly what to do, and what to tell Brennan, and would be able to explain that someone had sent Booth a picture and a note that told him she was pregnant in the mail, but they had no idea who. That was something they would have to figure out as a team. Once again they would have to bond together to protect each other.


	4. Breathe, Just Breathe

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bones!**

**A/N: Lyrics belong to Cat Power and her song "Good Woman". Thanks again to everyone who is reading, reviewing, and adding this story to their favorite and alerts lists. I'm so glad you all like this story and I promise a B&B reunion within the next two chapters as my gift to you! Hope you like this one!**

**P.S. This is a different day and doctor's appointment than in the last chapter...sorry I didn't make that as clear as it should be. You know Brennan thought, she hates hospitals, so it's understandable that she wouldn't wanna go. :) **

**Chapter Four**

…**..One Month Later…**

"_**I want to be a good woman, And I want, for you to be a good man. **_

_**  
This is why I will be leaving, And this is why, I can't see you no more. **_

_**  
I will miss your heart so tender, And I will love this love forever. **_

I don't want be a bad women, And I can't stand to see you be a bad man. __

I will miss your heart so tender, and I will love, This love forever, 

_**  
And this is why I am leaving, And this is why I can't see you no more,**_

_**  
This is why I am lying when I say, That I don't love you no more. **_

'Cause I want (to) be a good women, And I want for to be a good man" 

**Brennan P.O.V.**

Her head was spinning, and if she hadn't still been in the doctor's office she would've thought it had all been a dream. She was more in shock than anything else now, and the only thing she could hear at the moment was two heartbeats coming from the ultrasound machine. Two heartbeats, not one, which meant there were two babies. She had almost passed out when she had first heard them, only to feel her hand being grabbed by Angela which brought her back to reality. The doctor's we now running around the room, trying to come up with an explanation as to why they hadn't heard the second heartbeat until the eighth month, and were coming up empty. She knew that the medical care in Egypt wasn't like it was in the U.S., but she was using the top hospital in the city, so why hadn't they seen the other baby until now?

She felt tears begin to roll down her cheeks as Angela tightened her grip on her hand. She couldn't tell if they were happy or sad tears, and they began to fall at an almost alarming rate. Brennan didn't know if the fact that she was now having two babies instead of one was the reason that made her cry, or that it seemed the new found baby had been hiding itself behind its sister and from its mother, or that now she really felt alone without Booth by her side. How was she going to be able to take care of both babies alone? She had never wanted children, but when she had found out she was pregnant, she realized she couldn't imagine anything she wanted more.

Brennan started to feel her head calm down slightly, and that was just enough to hear the ultrasound technician ask her if she wanted to know the sex of the second baby, which ironically enough, seemed to be very healthy. The technician's face was covered in a huge smile, which again reminded her of Booth, and that caused her to cry even harder, only managing to nod her head yes between the sobs.

She could tell this startled the young woman, but she didn't care, all she wanted in that moment was to make sure both her babies were healthy. They may never really know their 'father', but that didn't mean they wouldn't have a family. Brennan knew that the family unit they had created here in Egypt would be full of tons of love and care towards the children, and that was more than most people would ever know.

When Brennan and Angela, who was now crying too, calmed down some the technician started to speak again. 'The second baby is a boy' was all she said before she printed a new sonogram picture, handed it to them, and left the room. _'It's a boy? Oh God, I can't have a boy. What if he looks just like Booth?' _Her minds filled with thoughts again as she felt Angela lead her out of the doctor's office and to the car in the now almost empty parking lot.

Her mind was still spinning when they arrived at the restaurant and when Brennan made it in the doors she immediately took of to the restroom with Zach right behind her. After she finished getting sick, and cleaned herself up again somewhat, she opened the door back out to the restaurant to find Zach waiting like a gentleman for her by the door to make sure she was okay. She noticed Jack and Angela were already at the table and in deep conversation as Zach escorted her back to the table. She assumed Angela was telling Jack about the second baby, so she took the time to fill Zach in before they sat down with the others. She could tell he was excited when the words first made it out of her lips because as soon as she said the word 'twins' he put his hand on her stomach as if he could now automatically feel the second baby. That made her laugh harder than she had in a long time, and when they finally reached the others and sat down, a smile graced her face that hadn't been there since she and Hodgins had been rescued from that car.

Apparently, the second baby wasn't the only thing Jack and Angela had been discussing, but when she asked them about it they denied that they had been talking about anything other than the sweet baby boy that they now knew about. Brennan knew they were lying, but she didn't want to ruin the moment. Just like they hand done on that first day they had become a team in Ohio, they all put their hands in the middle of the table, one on top of the other like a sports team, and said "Here's to the Brennan Element" before letting go.

**Angela P.O.V.**

'Okay Angela, don't panic. It's just one more baby, that's all' was all she could remember thinking as they exited the doctor's office and headed towards the restaurant. She knew her friend must be feeling a medley of mixed emotions now, and they would all have to put up a supportive, strong, united front if any of them were going to survive these last two months of Brennan's pregnancy. Apparently Brennan had been more upset than she realized because as soon as they made it through the doors she immediately took off towards the bathroom with Zach, bless him, following her.

Angela knew she had only a few minutes to talk to Jack alone before Brennan made it back to the table, so she started to look for her fiancée, and finding him at their usual table, sat down next to him, but she could tell by his face that he was dreading telling her something.

As soon as she was firmly planted next to him in the booth he began his, somewhat shortened version, story of how Booth had been looking for them ever since they left D.C. and was now aware of both their general location and the baby. _'Well he only knows about one baby, we just found out it's twins'_ escaped Angela's lips before she could stop it, and Hodgins looked somewhat more worried than he had when she first set down. His only question to her was if they should tell Brennan, and when they saw how happy she was when she started to walk back to the table, they both decided they would have to tell her, but not tonight. Tonight they were going to let her be happy.

**Booth P.O.V.**

Booth knew he had to get out of where ever he was fast. His mind was racing and his head was spinning. It had been over a month since he had learned about the baby, and his mind hadn't stopped tormenting him. _'Oh God, that's why she left. I was such an ass. No wonder she's hiding from me. What am I gonna do? Maybe Goodman knows something, yea Goodman must know more than he told me. He went on a sabbatical in Cairo almost five months ago, how many dig sites can there be there? He had to have seen her. Maybe Cam can give me some perspective on this, I mean I finally told her about sleeping with Bones that night, and she said she wasn't mad since we had already broken up when I told her, so maybe she can help me figure out what to do.' _Running his hands through his hair he realized that he must be outside now due to the rain that was beginning to hit his hands. How he made it outside didn't matter, he was going to the Jeffersonian to get the truth out of Dr. Goodman once and for all.

Coming around the hall to Goodman's office he knew he heard voices, his sniper hearing had allowed him that. Goodman was talking to a woman, and they were talking in Spanish so he couldn't understand anything they were saying. 'Aquí está el boceto de la víctima (here is the sketch of the victim)' floated to his ears and immediately recognized her voice, even if she was speaking a different language. Goodman was talking to Bones. When Booth heard her voice his heart almost fell out of his chest, and without breathing he started running a full speed into Goodman's office. The last thing he heard before entering the office was 'Gracias Dr. Brennan haber Agente Sullivan corrido el boceto por proyectil persona.' Which he knew meant that Goodman would have Sully run something through missing persons.

When he entered the office he saw her. Goodman was using a large screen on one of the walls in his office to speak to her and Booth could tell it was late at night where ever she was. His breath stopped in his chest causing him not to be able to speak, and she hadn't noticed his presence yet either. She was now speaking in English and he quietly hid in a corner so he could watch her for a moment. "I have some good news about the baby, Dr. Goodman. Well not baby, but babies! We just found out about the little boy baby tonight. It seems he had hidden himself behind his sister so he wasn't visible on the ultrasound." When Booth heard her news he fainted right in the corner where he was hiding and knocked over about a dozen ancient relics, breaking everyone. He knew she had seen him when he woke up, but when he looked to where the screen had been, she was gone, and the screen was back in its hiding place.

After he regained his awareness and stood up, the only thing the kept him from tearing Dr. Goodman to shreds was the fact that Goodman was now handing him a map with Brennan's exact location pinpointed on it and her address written in red marker in the corner of the map. He knew she must've given Goodman permission to give it to him or he wouldn't have. The squints had much more loyalty to Bones than he'd ever realized.

When he finally left the Jeffersonian he picked up his phone to call Cullen. He knew he had some vacation time coming up and he was fully intent on using it up in Egypt. Cullen seemed to understand is dilemma, but despite Booth's persistence wasn't able to let him start his vacation time for another two weeks. Slamming his phone closed in frustration he remembered that he still had one friend after all this, and opened his phone again to call Cam.

Booth almost broke his phone when he heard Cam's reaction to the news about Bones' pregnancy. All Cam had said was 'I've known she was pregnant since before she left Seeley. I'm the one that ran the test. I only figured out the baby was yours when you told me that you slept together'. It was a good thing he wasn't anywhere near Cam when he heard that or he would've gone to jail for murder. The only thing he said before hanging up was 'Fuck you. I understand what people mean when they talk about how much they hate you'. His face was now full of anger and his fist went through his apartment wall more than once before he sat down at the laptop Bones had given him and started searching through plane tickets.

**Mixed Tenses- Brennan, Angela, Zach, Hodgins, Max, and Russ**

As soon as Brennan had seen him she lost her breath. She could see by is face that he hadn't slept or eaten in at least a day, and the color of his skin let her conclude that he had started drinking, probably every night. Thank God Angela had walked onto the porch when she did or Brennan might have just quit breathing forever.

"Sweetie! Sweetie! What's wrong? Breathe Brennan, come on Breathe" was all she heard Angela say before she let out a long, deep breathe that she had been holding in since before she hung up with Dr. Goodman. Angela was now holding Brennan so she could mimic her breathing and recover from her panic attack.

Hodgins and Zach had gone to the airport to pick up Max and Russ so the girls were left alone and Brennan had begun letting her tears flow as hard and as heavy as they wanted to. "He was, he looked so… Ange, I had to tell him where we are, I couldn't take seeing him like that. His face was so dark and sunken in that I could tell he hadn't slept or eaten in days, and I think he's drinking, so he may be gambling again too… Oh God Angela".

Angela was so shocked at what her friend was telling her that she couldn't move. She knew that Booth must've been upset after they left, but when he hadn't come to Egypt after he found out about the baby she thought he was just giving Brennan the space she needed or that he wasn't coming at all. Brennan had actually told Booth where they were, so that meant she was at least thawing on the idea of him.

Before Angela could say anything in response to her sobbing friend she heard a car screech into park and four men run up towards them. If she hadn't recognized each one of them she would've immediately panicked. "Angela what happened?" came out of each mouth, but before she could answer she heard Brennan say "I think my water just broke" before tensing up in pain.

When they got to the hospital the doctor's had rushed Brennan away from them as soon as they had entered the door and each person was now using his or her different capabilities to try to get information on Brennan and the babies' condition. Angela had flirted with the male nurse, Zach and Hodgins were using words like 'influence' and 'shut this place down', and Max and Russ had tried to con one of the doctors into giving them information on what room Tempe was in so they could sneak back and be with her. This went on for about an hour before a middle aged doctor wearing large glasses approached them saying "Are you Temperance Brennan's family?"

All five heads shot towards him and answered "Yes" at the same time and the doctor only nodded before continuing. "I'm Doctor Anwar Brahimi. We were not able to stop Ms. Brennan's contractions and were forced to do an emergency caesarian before the babies' heart rates' dropped any lower. However we were able to get both babies out safely and they are now resting in their mother's room. If you want to see the three of them just follow me."

When they entered the room the nurses were handing Brennan the babies and were placing pillows around her arms to support them so she wouldn't drop the babies. She was smiling from ear to ear as she motioned with her eyes from them to enter the room handing off the baby girl to Max and Russ and the baby boy to Angela, Zach, and Hodgins. After what seemed like hours of fawning of each one, Angela couldn't hold it in any longer and finally said what everyone else was thinking. "Sweetie, they're adorable. What are you going to name them?"

"Well" Brennan started with a sigh, "I wish their father was here, you all know that and the situation between Booth and I, and I don't want to get into that now. So I'm just going to tell you each name and then explain it. Okay her name will be Melanie Christine Booth, but I'm going to call her Lanie. I named her Christine after my mother and Melanie because that was Angela's favorite name on her list and she has never left my side since the day we met. So in a way I named her Melanie to honor Angela."

Angela's eyes started welling up with tears as Brennan now drew her attention to the little boy that Jack was holding. "And since this little guy didn't give me very long to think up a name for him, I only had the names I looked at tonight to pick from. Despite that fact I've picked out the perfect one though. His name is Bennett Oliver Booth. Bennett means little blessed one, and blessed is one thing he is and so are his mother and sister to have such an amazing family. Oliver means army. Let me explain this one. I chose Oliver because it describes every one of you in this room. On that day we left D.C. none of you knew anything that was going on, but you knew I needed you, and so you asked no questions, and just dropped everything to help me. You rallied around me and you became my family and my army, and as a way to thank you for that I named him Oliver in your honor."

When she finished describing her reasons for each name there wasn't a dry eye in the room, but the twins seemed unfazed and kept on sleeping. The little girl had dark red hair and resembled Booth in every feature except her eyes. Lanie definitely had her mother's eyes. Bennett on the other hand, Brennan noticed, looked somewhat like Russ and he definitely had the Brennan nose and mouth. The only thing that made it obvious that he was a Booth was his eyes. They were exact replicas of the ones that belonged to Seeley Booth. Brennan sighed just a little bit when she noticed the little boys eyes, but kept her reasoning to herself, and they all continued to love on the little babies until the early morning.


	5. Welcome Home Munchkins

**Disclaimer: I still do not own Bones. I barely own my car, so how do you think I would be able to own Bones?**

**A/N: Okay so I'm a little discouraged at the number of reviews for the last chapter, but as I promised, here is the chapter with the B&B reunion. I know I mentioned to some of you in PM's that Bones was going to be upset with Max and Russ about sending that note to Booth, and she still is, but it's just not in this chapter. This is a total FLUFF chapter, but don't get the wrong idea. B&B are ****not**** a couple in this chapter. Maybe the amount of fluff in this chapter will bring the reviews back up, but the alerts and the hits on this story are still high so I'm not too worried. I still miss everyone's input though! I hope this chapter is fairly decent, I tried is all I can say, I'm running on little to no sleep right now, and I needed a small break from my paper so I decided that I write you guys another chapter. The next chapter will be longer and they will definitely get down to the nitty gritty about everything that has happened. So without further ado, here is chapter five! Enjoy!**

**Chapter Five**

**-Two and a Half Weeks Later-**

"_When I despair, I remember that all through history the ways of__ truth__ and __love__ have always won. There have been tyrants, and murderers, and for a time they can seem invincible, but in the end they always fall. Think of it--always.__" –Mahatma Gandhi_

**Angela P.O.V.**

Angela and Brennan had hardly left the hospital for more than an hour or two a day since the night the twins were born, and when they did leave they only managed to think about the twins so leaving the hospital was practically pointless. Today though was a special day. Today Lanie and Bennett, or Oliver as he was called, were going to make the journey home. Everyone in the hospital nursery was beaming when they saw the nine people that showed up at the hospital to pick up the babies. Angela, Jack, Zach, Max, Russ, Amy, Hayley, and Emma had all come with Brennan and she wouldn't have had it any other way.

Angela may not have left the hospital for more than a total of ten hours in the past two weeks, but that didn't mean that she hadn't organized the others to redo the nursery to make room for Oliver and make the little boy a scrapbook all is own.

Something still worried Angela in the back of her mind though. Booth still hadn't shown up, and she couldn't tell if Brennan was upset by that or comforted by it. Angela had started to wonder if Booth would ever be in their lives again. He had found out about the twins and their exact location over two weeks ago and they still hadn't heard from him. Maybe it's best that he doesn't come since Max and Russ are here was Angela's only reasoning on why it would be a good thing that Booth wasn't around. She knew Brennan had started to forgive Booth, probably more than she told anyone, and so she wouldn't be too opposed to his presence. These were his kids after all.

When they pulled up the drive to their medium sized house, Angela could see the smile that hit her friend's face when she saw all the balloons that adorned the front door welcoming the twins' home and she could hear the people in the back yard already starting the grill. The worker's from the dig had all come over to have a small celebration for the twins. Angela didn't even mind that she hadn't even seen the nursery yet, because she knew Amy had picked out all the new decorations so it wouldn't be too over done.

When they finally made it inside, the twins had yet to even wake up from their naps, and Angela just smiled to herself a little when she saw the cake and balloons that were in the kitchen in honor of the newest arrivals. This was going to be a good day, even if they were all a little sad that Booth was missing this part of his children's lives, and that was her last thought before helping Brennan carry the twins outside to where the small party had started.

**Booth P.O.V.**

The past two weeks were a little easier on Seeley Booth than the previous eight months had been. He had stopped drinking, at least for the most part, and sleep had come easier than it had from the last time he could remember.

The only thing that still worried him was how Bones was going to react to seeing him again. What was he going to say to her? How could he gain her trust again? Was she going to let him be a part of the children's lives? Would she come back from Egypt? Those were thoughts that he had everyday and they seemed to intensify during his layover at Heathrow Airport in London. He had left D.C. the night before at midnight and flown all night, and now he only had five hours to go until he would get the answers to his questions.

Landing in Cairo it was now 2pm, and Booth's nerves had only gotten worse as he was now playing with the poker chip in his jeans pocket. He didn't even care how the squints were going to react to him just showing up, he was only thinking about Bones and those two little babies that she was about to have. He didn't even know if she had picked out any names for them yet or even taken enough time off work to decorate the nursery. He knew she must be at least willing to let him somewhat close to her being that she finally gave everyone permission to tell him where she was. Over the past two weeks even Caroline Julian had come by his office to explain her part in the story that he didn't even know she knew about.

He knew Bones had gone to Ohio first after all, but had left for Egypt after only one week in Dayton. _'She must've known that I wouldn't come looking for her there'_ had been his first thought we he learned of her movements. It seemed that the only person who was as in the dark to the squints whereabouts as he was had been Sully, and even he had heard the rumors that had been spreading throughout the Jeffersonian. Booth didn't know whether to laugh or cry as he started to drive the short drive from the airport to the address on the map.

Pulling up to the average sized house, and seeing all the cars in the drive way, he didn't know if he should leave and come back later or just knock on the door. The driveway looked like the whole neighborhood had shown up to what he thought was a baby shower. No, not the whole neighborhood, the whole work crew from the dig, which would be more like the Bones he remembered. He decided that it was now or never, but when he climbed out of the car and heard the noises of the party coming from the back yard, closed his eyes and leaned up against the car for a while to gather his thoughts.

**Amy and Angela P.O.V.**

When it seemed like the twins had been out in the sunlight long enough Brennan had agreed to allow Aunt Amy and Aunt Angela to carry them inside and put them in their beds as long as they remembered to bring out the baby monitor when the returned outside. The whole afternoon had been spent lounging around and having a good time, and it seemed that even Max had been enjoying himself.

After laying Lanie down in her crib, and using the restroom, Amy noticed a man in the driveway who looked like he was asleep leaning against his car. She couldn't see his face so when Angela had finished laying Oliver down she had fully intended on asking her. However, when Angela saw the man she nearly fainted, saying 'that's Booth'. Neither woman could believe what their eyes were seeing. Before telling Brennan of his presence they new they would have to calm down the others so they wouldn't kill him when they saw him.

When Hodgins, Max, Russ, Zach, and several of the crew members who knew the story had finally agreed not to beat Booth to a pulp when they saw him they went to find Brennan. Leading Brennan inside Amy and Angela pointed to Booth who hadn't moved an inch and it was now getting dark, and Brennan froze for a moment before making her way outside.

**Brennan and Booth- Mixed Tenses**

"Hey Stranger" Was the first thing Brennan said as put her hands in her jean pockets and walked towards the 'sleeping' man.

When he heard her voice his eyes popped open and he registered her presence. It had been way too long since he'd set eyes on Bones in person and he was going to take in all over her attributes that he could while he had the chance.

"Hey yourself" was his only response as he stood away from the car and started shuffling his feet, not knowing what to say next. He did manage a week smile, which surprisingly enough she returned.

Brennan had to take a moment to realize that Booth was really the person standing in front of her before she could continue. She was trying to keep a calm, straight face but if that really was Booth all she wanted to do was run up to him and hug him and never let him go. When she had gotten closer to him she had, had to make herself stop a good few feet in front of him just to keep her wits about her.

"So" Booth had started as he still looked at his feet, "I don't know where to start. I spent the past eight months and the plane ride here trying to figure out just what to say to make everything better and I haven't been able to come up with more than I'm sorry. Bones, I just want tell you how sorry I am for everything. I never wanted anything to happen like this, and when we slept together that night I got scared and I was hurt that you didn't want to be with me, not that any of this is your fault, so I just stayed with Cam. That was a stupid mistake and I had no idea that you were pregnant, or that Cam knew. I just want you to know that everything between Cam and I is over. She told me about running the pregnancy test for you a little while back and I just couldn't believe it when she told me that she had known about everything all along. I can't even begin to understand what I ever saw in her. I understand why you ran, but if you'd let me, or if you'd be okay with it, I'd like to try and work on getting back to the way we used to be. You know when I didn't lie to you and when you could trust me? That's the thing I miss the most. You always had faith in me Bones, and I'm sorry I betrayed that. When you left I spent every hour of every day looking for you, but every where I looked I couldn't find you. It wasn't until I got the letter from your dad and Russ in the mail with the sonogram picture that I learned you were in Cairo. So then I went to question Goodman, and well you know the rest of what happened that day. That was also the day I found out the truth about Cam, and then when I called Cullen he said I couldn't start my vacation time for two weeks and well now here I am. I just want you to know that the only reason I was ever with Cam was because I thought you didn't want to be with me. I love you, and I always have, and I was just using Cam to keep my mind off of you and not being able to be with you." Tears had started to well up in Booth's eyes and he was now looking directly at Brennan.

Brennan took a few steps closer to him now, took a deep breath, and started digesting what he had said. She knew that all eyes were probably peering out of the window at them now, but she didn't care.

"Booth" she started, "Let's just get one thing straight."

"What's that Bones?"

"If you ever, and I mean ever, do anything to make me not trust you again, you can bet your ass that me and those babies are out the door. You understand?" She was dead serious and she knew he could tell.

"I promise with everything I am that I will never betray you again Bones. I really, really do." His voice had dripped with sincerity and she took that as a sign that he was telling her the truth.

She could tell he was almost crying now, and she did have a right to inflict pain on him if she wanted, but now was not the time, and to be honest she didn't want to make him suffer anymore. She had gotten past that point in her anger towards him. A thought popped into her head as she thought of what to say next. She was going to take full advantage of her new found knowledge of the movie world. "You know Booth" she said putting her hand on his lower arm, "It doesn't matter if the guy is perfect or the girl is perfect, as long as they are perfect for each other." She just smiled at him genuinely as she hoped he would get the reference.

"Bones, I can't believe you're quoting Good Will Hunting! Since when do you watch movies?" came his astonished reply and she could see that he was relaxing just a little.

"Listen Tony, I've had eight months of almost bed rest and barely anything to do, so I figured I catch up on my movies. You always said I should. So what do you say that we go meet those little babies of ours now? They should just be waking up."

His smile was growing now and the fact that she was calling him Tony like she did in Vegas had only added to his happiness. "What do you mean Roxie?" he said as he thought she was still pregnant.

"You know the twins, our kids? C'mon Booth don't tell me you've forgotten about your son and daughter already" she said as she looked at him like he was crazy.

"No, it's not that. It's just that you said waking up, as in their already born? Is that what you're telling me?" His right eyebrow was raised towards the sky now and his look of confusion echoed hers.

"Yes Booth. They're about two and a half weeks old, and they'd like to meet their father if that's okay with him."

"Oh wow. I thought you were still, you know, pregnant. I can't believe I missed that."

She could tell that he was more than upset now and her reply couldn't have sounded more motherly if she tried. "Hey, you know what? All that matters is that you're here now", was all she said and she knew she had gotten her meaning across.

Booth now met her gaze, and hoping she wouldn't pull away, pulled her into the biggest hug that he'd ever given anyone. "I missed you Bones" was all he said as he held her.

"I missed you too" was her reply as she smiled and settled into his firm arms.

When they finally pulled away after what seemed like hours, but was really only minutes, she led him into the house and to the nursery where the twins were sleeping.

"This is Melanie Christine Booth, but we like to call her Lanie" she said pointing at the small red headed baby who had snuggled up to one of the teddy bears in her crib. "And this is Bennett Oliver Booth, but he takes after his dad so much we decided to call him Oliver. You know because all the Booth boys need a cool name on the playground" she said, laughing a little, and showed him the sleeping little boy who was already learning to charm his way into getting things. That was evident by the amount of things that were placed in his crib.

Booth just stood still for a second before asking if he could hold them. He still couldn't get it in his brain that he and Bones were parents. Bones had been amazing with the whole situation since he had shown up, but he knew there was more to the story, and she would tell him in time, but right now she didn't want him to miss another minute in the twin's lives. He couldn't have loved her more in that moment if he tried.

"Why don't we take them outside? Then you can meet everyone again." She said picking up Oliver and handing him to Booth before she picked up Lanie in her arms. "We need to talk about a lot of things, but right now isn't the time Booth, and I think you and I both know that. My dad and brother are outside with the others right now and they probably aren't going to be the nicest people, but just let me deal with them. And don't even think of going to a hotel tonight, you're on daddy duty. I'm tired and I think it's your turn to wake up every four hours and feed them."

He just nodded and followed her out the door. He hadn't even thought of Max and Russ being there. He saw the squints standing near a picnic table and he could tell they had been through a lot, and he made a mental note to apologize and thank everyone of them as soon as he got the chance. Ironically enough he even wanted to thank Max and Russ for letting him know about the babies, even though he knew they had only told him to spite him. Booth's mind was full of emotions as she led him to a set of empty plastic chairs that were near the squints and motioned for him to sit down. He knew that he would probably receive threatening speeches from each person later, but right now they were all letting him back into their circle and that was more than he could've hoped for after everything they'd been through over the past few months.


	6. White is all that's here now

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bones.**

**A/N: I love every one of you that has read, alerted, and reviewed this story. No joke! Thank you so much! This is a shorter chapter and deals only with Booth's perspective. I decided that at this part in the story Booth, Brennan, and the Squints each needed their own chapters to explain their feelings. I remembered I promised you a longer chapter this time where everyone got down to exactly what has happened so far, but then I started to realize that I wanted that more towards the end of the story...which will be in a few chapters. I know there were some things in the last chapter that were a touch on the unrealistic side and I hope what happens I this chapter helps that a little. Thanks to the reviewer who brought that inconsistency to my attention! Oh and I can't help but share the good news: THE STRIKE IS OVER!! Hallelujah! **

**Chapter Six**

"Everybody likes to go their own way--to choose their own time and manner of devotion." – Jane Austen, Mansfield Park

**Booth P.O.V.**

White was the color that was now everywhere. Everywhere Booth looked or turned that seemed to be the only color that he could find as he scanned every inch of the room. Even the toilet that he had been hugging only moments ago had been white. The doctors wore white, the nurses wore white, the chairs were white, the walls were white, the lights were white, even the faces of the people he knew were white. It had been hours since they had even seen Dr. Brahimi and his team, and not even Hodgins could get a straight answer from anyone on Bones' condition.

Booth and Brennan had just been sitting in those plastic chairs for hours talking, just talking almost like nothing had changed. They had talked about Parker and the twins, and about Rebecca, and how Sully was working out as the new Jeffersonian liaison. Booth remembered Bones' had started to feel cold and they had decided to take the twins inside even though he hadn't felt cold, not in the least. He remembered putting the twins in their beds and blowing up the air mattress in the floor between the cribs. He remembered Bones' getting him the sheets for the air bed and just as she was leaving the nursery for the last time she had turned smiling at him and then she had just collapsed. He shuddered at remembering her weak pulse, how cold her body felt, her shortness of breath, and her left leg that had been deep blue and swollen to twice the size of her right one. What was going on? He had just gotten Bones' back and now she might leave him again? Surely life wouldn't be this cruel to him.

Booth closed his eyes to hold back the tears as he started to remember screaming for Angela, which woke the twins up, the loud sirens of the ambulance, and what was the worst of all Bones hadn't woken up with all that noise, not even a little. She hadn't even woken up when they got her to the hospital. Her oxygen level had been so low that the paramedics had to put an oxygen mask on her face, and now she had been rushed through the doors that he had heard the nurse whispering were the doors of 'no return'. His heart had stopped when he heard them say that. Good thing Amy had been there and offered to watch the twins and Hayley and Emma at the house or he didn't know what he would've done.

Angela had tried her best to comfort him at first, but now it had been hours since they had heard anything and she was now sobbing into Hodgins chest. Booth had heard Max and Russ whispering things like 'this wouldn't have happened if Booth had just stayed gone' and he hadn't ever seen Zach show this much emotion. The waiting room was now filled with men and women of different ages and sizes who all seemed to be visibly upset and Booth recognized most of them from earlier at the small get together.

By the time it was early morning Booth had almost given up hope and that's when it happened. That was the moment the doctor had finally come out of those 'no return' doors. Something about seeing the doctor come back out of those doors made Booth feel like all wasn't lost after all. The doctor hadn't had an 'I'm sorry for your loss' face, he had, had an 'I've got good news' face.

The next thing Booth remembered was the doctor coming towards him and the squints, which were now huddling around Booth, to explain Bones' condition. When the doctor started to speak Booth noticed that the small waiting room had gotten so quiet that you could've heard a pin drop. It seemed everyone had been holding their breath.

'_All of you are waiting to her the news about Dr. Brennan's condition?' _had been the first words out of the tired looking doctor's mouth. When they had all nodded in agreement the doctor seemed satisfied and began announcing exactly what had happened.

'_Dr. Brennan has suffered a severe DVT, or deep vein thrombosis, in the femoral vein in her left leg. The DVT then proceeded to grow stopping all blood supply to her left leg which caused it to swell and the color to change. Dr. Brennan is also suffering from several PE's, or pulmonary embolisms, which is what cause her breathing to slow, her oxygen levels to drop, and then ultimately it is the reason she collapsed. The most common cause of a pulmonary embolism is when pieces of a DVT break off and travel up the vein towards the heart and then through the heart into the lungs. We have also discovered pieces of the DVT in the vein leading to the heart which is why Dr. Brennan's stomach was still swollen three weeks after giving birth. In lay terms Dr. Brennan's lungs and left femoral vein is almost completely full of blood clots, and the veins leading up to her stomach have started to clot as well. We've started her on a blood thinner commonly known as heparin, but she has yet to regain consciousness at this time. Her oxygen levels have risen a great deal, and her breathing has somewhat steadied, but the next few hours will be touch and go. If any more of the clot breaks away from the DVT in her leg and becomes lodged in her heart or brain there will be nothing we can do except pray for a miracle. If she regains consciousness soon that will be a good sign, but for now all we can do is wait and hope for the best.__**'**_When the doctor finished he seemed hopeful that her condition would improve, Booth could tell that by the way his eyes were full of reassurance when he looked at Angela and the other people in the room.

'_I'm sure you are all wondering when you can see her, but for right now I'm going to only allow one person at a time to visit her, and no more that three people in total due to the critical nature of her condition. I'm sorry. When you've decided who will go and visit Dr. Brennan the nurse will lead you to room 315 in the IUC.' W_hen Dr. Brahimi finished that sentence, he turned and walked away leaving them to make their decision.

When Booth heard that she would only be able to have three visitors in total he figured that Angela, Max, and Russ would be the ones to see Bones, and they should be the ones to see her. What Angela said next almost made him collapse in the floor. _'Booth go to her. She needs you'_ was all that came out of her mouth and he couldn't believe what he was hearing. He remembered asking if everyone was sure, and they had all nodded, but he was still shocked that they were allowing him to be the one to go see Bones. The next thing he knew he was being lead by a young male nurse to the third floor and still trying to hold back his tears.

When Booth saw her he thought his heart had stopped beating. Bones was just laying there just as if she was asleep with wires that were attached to heart monitors and blood pressure machines coming from her body. An oxygen line ran up to her nose which was helping her oxygen levels to rise, but she still hadn't reached the normal level of 100. He now noticed that her heart rate was up around 125 and the IV drip that was in her arm. When he entered the room, and finally sat down, his arms and hands had begun to shake uncontrollably. He then grabbed her hand that wasn't near the IV and held it for a good two hours before he heard something he thought he'd never hear again. _"Booth, what happened?"_ fluttered up to his ears and he let out a breath that he hadn't realized he'd been holding before hitting the nurses button to alert everyone that Bones was awake.


	7. Next stop, DC

**Disclaimer: Still don't own Bones.**

**A/N: This chapter isn't really a great as I wanted it to be, BUT I think writer's block is an incurable disease! It's never been this bad before. :( Hopefully it'll go away soon. Lyrics are from "All I Got" by Newton Faulker. Hope this chapter isn't too terrible! I'll try to update soon, but it may be next week before I can. **

**Chapter 7**

**One Month Later**

_"Everywhere I look,  
Everything is looking so good,  
And everyone is you.  
And I know I tend to rush straight in,  
I just don't know where to begin,  
When everyone is you."_

-Newton Faulkner

**Booth P.O.V.**

For the first time in over a year, Booth felt like Brennan had actually forgiven him, and that things between them were getting back to normal. Sure they'd talked like they used to that first night in Egypt, but they both knew they would have to talk about what had gone down between them eventually, and that had made the conversation just a little strained. But all that was behind them now. They were going home. Not back to the little house in Cairo, but home to D.C. Booth knew that returning to the "scene of the crime" should make him more than a little nervous, but looking over at Brennan and the twins next to him gave him hope that everything was going to be alright. Even though he hated flying with a passion, that didn't even faze him now, all Booth could think about was what had transpired at the group meeting the previous week that had led them back to D.C. again.

_Flashback:_

"_Bones" Booth sighed "My vacation time is ending next week, so I have to head back to D.C. I don't want to go, but I have to. I wish you would come back too. Like old times, you know? Partners. I know I don't have the right to tell you what to do after everything that's happened, but, Bones, you and Parker and those twins are my family. I don't know how I'm even going to be able to get on that plane without you guys..." He continued rambling, tears forming in his eyes._

"_We're all going back to D.C. I've made my decision, and I've accepted a job offer from the Jeffersonian. It's the head of Forensics job as well as my old one. Goodman's doubling my salary, and letting me bring the whole team back. I haven't told them yet, they're all coming by later and we're going to discuss it. He said that I could start work again as soon as I felt like it, and got a doctor's ok." She finished and looked at him curiously as if questioning why he thought she wouldn't go back to D.C. with him. Why she would keep his children from him._

_He would've hugged her or kissed her in that moment if it hadn't been for the squints and her dad and brother entering the room announcing they had left the twins with their nanny. _

_When they had all found a seat Brennan began telling them of her intentions and Booth knew that she would have some tough questions coming. _

"_Guys, I have something to tell you. And I understand if you don't want to do this, I know you've all been through a lot over the past year. Just so you know, if you don't want to go I've arranged it where you can stay on working here in Cairo at the dig site."_

_Angela, who was still impatient as ever was squirming in her seat. "Bren, just tell us. You've got us all going crazy trying to figure this out."_

"_Ok, well I've been in touch with Dr. Goodman, and he has once again offered my job back, as well as my team, and I've decided to accept his offer. I informed him that I would let you all make your decisions about returning. He has offered me my old job as well as the head of forensics job, and would be doubling all of our salaries if we were to return. I know you all probably need to think about this, and Dr. Goodman has allowed us one week to make our final decision."_

"_Dr. Brennan" Hodgins started "If this is what you want, we're with you. We always have been, and always will be. You're our best friend, and we'd do anything for you. Angela, Zach, and I are on board if this is what you really want."_

_Ever since the time they had been captured by the Gravedigger Brennan and Hodgins had become extremely close. In fact, the only person she was closer with was Angela. She had already known that he would be there for her with this had all started, and she would've done the same for him. It had been hard on all of them to see Brennan so upset, but she knew it had been harder on Hodgins. It did however shock her at his stern reply, as if nothing could change his mind. _

"_Tempe" Russ began and Brennan thought to herself 'I knew it! He and dad are going to mess this up.'_

"_Tempe, why do you want to go back to D.C. all of the sudden? I mean he hurt you, Booth hurt you, and now you want to go back to D.C. with him? I don't understand."_

"_Temperance" Max always had a way of waiting til the last minute, "I don't want you going back to D.C. You should come back to Alabama with Russ and I. I won't take no for an answer."_

_When she heard the last bit of his comment Brennan felt the red hot of anger rise up in her like nothing she'd felt since she left D.C. "Thank you for your opinion" she said through her gritted teeth "But since when do you make my decisions for me, Dad? I let you back into my life, my kids' life, and all the while you we going behind my back. Yes, I know that you sent the sonogram to Booth after I specifically asked you to let me handle this in my own way. I managed to get this far without your help, and I'm going to continue doing so. The people who mean more to me that my own life have agreed to accompany me without question, so who are you to doubt us?" She yelled at him now, not caring who heard._

_Max knew that there would be no reasoning with her now and he graciously bowed out of the room with Russ following him like a puppy. _

_When Booth heard her reply to her father he felt like the biggest man in the room, his heart nearly leapt out his chest, and before he could stop himself a smile crept upon his lips that stretched from ear to ear._

_End of Flashback_

**Hodgins P.O.V.**

Hodgins had arranged for the Cantilever Group's jet to carry them home as soon as Brennan had been ready to leave the hospital. He'd even paid for a doctor to fly with them incase of an emergency. He would never have admitted it to anyone, but he was more than happy to be going home to D.C. and the Jeffersonian. Hodgins had meant what he said about following Brennan where ever she went, but if the truth were told he had been silently praying that she would stay in D.C. this time, and he knew Angela and Zach were thinking the same thing.


	8. The Finale

Disclaimer: I don't own Bones, sadly.

**A/N: This is the final installment for 'Ohio is where the hurt go to hide'. I'm thinking of doing a one-shot sequel to describe what happens to B&B and the others after the wedding but it may be a few weeks in coming since I need to update my other story. I'll try my best to make it pretty long and descriptive so if you have any thoughts on how you'd like things to turn out for Angela, Zach, Hodgins, Cam, Booth, Brennan, Max, Russ, Amy & her daughters, or the twins please let me know either with a PM or in your review. : ) hope this turned out the way you expected! Sorry this was so long in coming as well, but I think it turned out pretty well. ; ) P.S. B&B are in italics and the minister isn't.**

"_The meeting of two personalities is like the contact of two chemical substances: if there is any reaction both are transformed." –Carl Jung_

**-Two Years Later-**

"Dearly beloved we gather here today to celebrate the ending of two separate lives and the beginning of a new single life. From what I have heard from Seeley and Temperance on how they have come to this point in their lives I can tell you that it hasn't been an easy road for either of them, but as it says in the book of Corinthians 'Love never fails'. People try and give you their opinions of love everywhere you turn, and you may chose to listen to them or you may chose to take your own way, and let me tell you that neither of those options is easy because love is never easy, even in the best of circumstances. But if it is true love it will still be standing tall after the final storm, and true love is what, ladies and gentlemen, we find ourselves celebrating here this afternoon as the sun falls at the close of another day. So without further ado Temperance, please place the ring on Seeley's finger and repeat after me."

'I, Temperance Christine Brennan, take thee Seeley Christopher Booth'

'_I, Temperance Christine Brennan, take thee Seeley Christopher Booth'_

'To be my lawful wedded husband'

'_To be my lawful wedded husband'_

'To have and to hold from this day forward'

'_To have and to hold from this day forward'_

'For better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness or in health, to love and to cherish 'till death do us part.'

'_For better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness or in health, to love and to cherish 'till death do us part.'_

'Now Seeley if you will place the ring in your hand of Temperance's left hand and repeat after me. 'I, Seeley Christopher Booth, take thee Temperance Christine Brennan'.

'_I, Seeley Christopher Booth, take thee Temperance Christine Brennan'_

'To be my lawful wedded wife'

'_To be my lawful wedded wife'_

'To have and to hold from this day forward'

'_To have and to hold from this day forward'_

'For better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness or in health, to love and to cherish 'til death do us part.'

'_For better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness or in health, to love and to cherish 'til death do us part.'_

"What God has brought together let no man put asunder. I now pronounce you man and wife, you may kiss the bride."

With a sweet kiss the new happy couple turned to face their friends and started down the aisle to their new life with their children, together, as this was heard in the background "I now present to you Mr.& Mrs. Seeley Booth".


End file.
